Observational Study of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Patients

This prospective observational study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the author’s hospital and registered with the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (KCT0006046). This manuscript adheres to the applicable STROBE guidelines. After obtaining written informed consent, a total of 72 consecutive patients who visited our pain clinic in a tertiary care hospital due to LSS were enrolled in the study. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) age >40 years; (2) clinical LSS symptoms (radiculopathy +/− low back pain) more than 3 months; (3) symptom intensity with numeric rating scale (NRS; 0–10) of 4 or more; (4) radiologic confirmation of LSS through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients with a literacy problem or language difficulties; a history of psychotic disorder or drug abuse; chronic opioid usage over 3 months; a concomitantly complicated spinal disease, including epidural lipomatosis; ligament ossification or diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis; a definite indication for prompt surgery, such as cauda equina syndrome; a history of previous spinal surgery; orthopedic metal implants in any body region; and cardiac pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) were excluded from the study.